[Selective arterial embolization for haemorrhages complicating hip surgery. One case (author's transl)]

In a patient undergoing re-operation on the hip, the severity and repetition of haemorrhages despite successive blood transfusions led to therapeutic angiography. Angiography of the renal artery pinpointed the bleeding areas: pools of extravasated blood were found along the distal branches of the superior gluteal artery and the ascending branch of the posterior circumflex artery. Selective catheterization and embolization of these two vessels resulted in complete and permanent haemostasis. Arterial embolization, already widely used for post-traumatic haemorrhages, can therefore be applied to the haemorrhagic complications of orthopedic surgery. Provided it is sufficiently selective, the risks of extensive necrosis are non-existent.